May 1, 2023
Why was an old cameo such a treasure?
Handed down now to the third generation, it holds a story.
But it’s not mine. I wasn’t there.
I’ll let my mother tell you. After all, it’s her story to tell.
It starts in the early 1940’s deep in the South.
A small woman moved efficiently in the warm Louisiana breeze as she pinned the timeworn clothes on the line.
She pressed her fingertips against the pin on the front of her dress. The carved figures by now were memorized, even by touch.
The Cameo Belonged to Her.
The woman was Anna Belle Carr, my “Grannie.” She was there with us, to see to the children and the farm.
When I was 3 years old, my father became ill with Parkinson’s disease. My younger brother was a newborn baby. My older brother was 8 years old. My older sister was 10 years old.
Suddenly, we were a family in need.
Grannie, my mother’s mother, came to the rescue. She washed clothes, cooked meals, braided hair, and helped my mother to care for all of us.
Her hands were capable. They were filled with blessing and purpose.
What Was The Significance of the Cameo?
The significance was the way the cameo came to be my Grannie’s.
Grannie had five children: my mother, and her four brothers.
Three of those brothers fought in World War II. Uncle Gordon and Uncle Charles were in the Navy. Uncle Charles was actually on a ship in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. Uncle Gordon spent most of the war at a desk.
Uncle John was not allowed in the service due to flat feet.
Uncle Eaddy was in the Army and fought in Italy. He was at Normandy.
They all survived the war, came home, and went on to live interesting lives.
The Cameo
While Uncle Eaddy was in Italy, he acquired a number of cameos. Most were simple unmounted small cameos. He gave each of his nieces one of these. Mine is mounted for a necklace.
However, the one my Uncle Eaddy selected for his mother (my Grannie) was larger, over 2 1/2 inches tall. It was mounted in a beautiful gold brooch setting. The carved figures were glorious.
She loved that cameo and wore it every day. I can still see her feeding the chickens, or hanging out laundry, wearing her feed-sack dress with that beautiful pin on the front.
Over the years, we knew the story of that pin, and we were familiar with its appearance. None of us had seen anything like it.
Until we did.
Growing up on a small Louisiana farm, I didn’t have much knowledge of famous art. Actually none at all.
Many years later, long after my grandmother had made her journey to Heaven, my sister and I were watching television together. My sister had a love of art, and we were watching a show of famous paintings.
Suddenly, there was Sandro Botticelli’s painting, La Primavera (Spring) 1477.
I was stunned. “Look!” I cried, it is Grannie’s cameo!”
The Significance
My mother inherited that cameo from Grannie. And now I have it.
It may have some dollar value now. However, it has value far beyond that.
Valuable thoughts of a young man across the ocean from home and in the midst of a world war, thinking of his mother and managing to get back home with that gift.
And a mother, so thankful for a son who survived that terrible war, and wearing his gift every day.
From Grammye,
Wow. How did you like my mom’s story? Over the years, she has shared with us these glimpses of her meager childhood and her rich upbringing.
I’m so grateful for my mom, for the stories she shares, like this one.
In honor of her, and in honor of moms, I’ve asked her to share a couple of stories in the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day.
She’s the storer of the stories and the keeper of the cameo; and her name is Catherine. Feel free to show her some love in the comments if you enjoyed her story. (And there’s another sweet one just waiting to find you in a week or two.)
If you’re an art lover, this is what Wikipedia says about that painting:
Primavera (meaning “Spring”), is a large panel painting in tempera paint by the Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli made in the late 1470s or early 1480s (datings vary). It has been described as “one of the most written about, and most controversial paintings in the world”, and also “one of the most popular paintings in Western art.”
If you love cameos, there is an article that will overwhelm you with beautiful examples and with information, A Buyer’s Guide to Cameo Jewelry.
Maybe you’ve got a story. Or a trinket, or a treasure. A touchstone that reminds you of your own thankfulness in the midst of the daily struggles of life.
I hope you tell your story.
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-Grammye
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Thanks for posting. That cameo certainly meant so much to “Grannie”–gratitude that her brave sons were able to return after the war, appreciation and awe that her son–while in the most difficult circumstances–was thinking of his mother…I could go on.
That cameo was so much more than a piece of jewelry to Grannie. Who wears jewelry while doing farm chores anyway?
We all need to collect these stories and pass them on, along with our own.
The memory definitely shines a bright light on both sides of that cameo — The importance of the gift to both the giver and the receiver. Doing something special to commemorate devotion and thanksgiving really is a beautiful act. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. As to your question, if I ever begin farm chores, whether to wear jewelry is a decision I will have to make. 😉
I loved your mother’s story – passing on family history to the next generation. I thought the same thing as Amy. Who wears a cameo while doing chores around the farm? That is a testament as to how precious it was to her. So sweet the love of a son for his mother.
I wonder if the chickens clucked to each other after she fed them, “She was way overdressed today.”
And maybe I should be wondering something else: Who around me has their own version of a cameo? Some kind of important token or item that doesn’t make much sense unless you know the story. I’ll definitely be looking to the right and to the left when I’m out at the clothesline. Thank you for reading, and for your very kind comment. I’m so happy you liked my mom’s story!